Recent comments by a Marvel executive suggested diversity is responsible for slumping sales. Over the weekend senior vice president of print, sales and marketing David Gabriel blamed female and non-Anglo characters for the dip.

“What we heard was that people didn’t want any more diversity,” Gabriel said. “They didn’t want female characters out there. That’s what we heard, whether we believe that or not.”

He has since backtracked, saying that new superheroes like Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Spider-Gwen and The Mighty Thor (a shieldmaiden) are here to stay. 

“We are proud and excited to keep introducing unique characters that reflect new voices and new experiences into the Marvel Universe and pair them with our iconic heroes,” Gabriel said in a statement.

What he didn’t mention is that major comic books are distributed solely by one company - Maryland-based Diamond Comic Distributors - to all stores in the U.S. regardless of demand or demographic. Every store, by and large, gets the exact same shipment of new titles unless the store owners special ordered other books. 

“It’s more a question of looking at a distribution system that is really antiquated,” said Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, creator of Puerto Rican superhero La Boriquena and former Marvel illustrator. 

“The industry is determined by two main publishers - D.C. Comics and Marvel. It’s a very specific demographic buying these titles.”

In other words, the current system does not allow for more diverse offerings even in a genre that specializes in the strange and fantastic. 

Part of the problem is the industry’s legacy. Both Marvel and D.C. Comics date back more than 50 years and many of their most recognizable characters were first created in the 1930s. Superman, for instance, was the brainchild of two Jewish men whose parents immigrated to North America at the turn of the century. That character debuted in 1938 as an escape to the pending doom of war. 

With this kind of history, any deviation from the original character is seen as heresy. 

But that is exactly what Marvel has been doing to many of its most beloved characters. Consider Spider Man. Peter Parker died unexpectedly and was replaced by a woman, Spider-Gwen. Thor suddenly became a shieldmaiden in 2014. And in a truly weird and seemingly unexplainable twist, Captain America was outed as a Nazi last spring. 

“The fan base is very loyal to [the original] characters,” Miranda-Rodriguez said. “A better model would be to introduce new heroes instead of changing the ones everyone knows and loves.”

Miranda-Rodriguez did just that with his creation, La Boriquena. She is a Columbia University law student by day and a caped crusader by night. Rather than being scantily clad like most comic book women, she is covered head to toe in the Puerto Rican flag. In fact, she unlocks her secret power after visiting her ancestral homeland for the first time. 

When Miranda-Rodriguez set out to publish the new character, no one was interested. Despite having worked for the world’s biggest comic book company, Marvel was not eager to adopt La Boriquena as its own. So Miranda-Rodriguez used his own money to self-publish the first installment. 

Since then, he has cycled through several printings and distributes through his new company, Somos Arte. He also sells books in person at artist events and signings. 

“It was an old school hip hop approach of selling tapes out of trunk of car,” he said. “I realized my window was closing very quickly to get this book out.”

Philadelphia-native Ariell Johnson is also going at it alone. The East Coast’s first black female comic book store owner fell in love with X-Men’s storm when she was 11 years old. It was the first character that looked like Johnson. After discovering the superhero, Johnson spent countless windy days pretending to control the weather outside. 

“It was like seeing myself on TV,” she said of the 1990s animated show. 

From there, she devoured the usual titles but always felt something was missing: a voice that reflected her own. Most of the women she encountered were drawn and written for the male gaze. They were voluptuous and impossibly sexy. Fighting a villain with cleavage popping out seemed absurd. And characters of color were either stereotypes or eventual casualties. 

Representation is the cornerstone of Johnson’s store, Amalgam, located on Frankford Avenue in Kensington. There, diversity attracts customers. 

“We want to be a place for people who have felt underrepresented or not represented at all in comics,” she said. “People get excited when they come in and see queer characters, characters of color, women in their own storylines. People come in here looking for that.”

Some of her bestselling titles feature main characters who do not look like Wolverine and Batman. Faith features a plus-size heroine: Love is Love remembers those killed in the Orlando terrorist attack; and Black Panther is a not-so-subtle reference to the black power movement of the 1960s. 

Most of these titles sell out quickly at Amalgam, but others, like Motor Crush, faced early challenges. The Batgirl revamp had a tough debut in 2016 when it first hit the shelves. The problem was not a lack of interest, Johnson insisted, but a lack of faith from distributors.

“Preorders were low because retailers felt like they couldn’t sell a book that had a black woman lead,” she said. “When we heard that we increased our orders. I’m not sure we even have those left in stock.

A Bucks County custodial worker is in the running for a ‘Janitor of the Year’ contest. NBC10 spoke with the man who has a community of loving students rallying behind him in the nationwide competition. Vote for the janitor of the year HERE.

The US Postal Service will soon launch a new set of stamps inspired by the cuisines of of Central and South America and the Caribbean.

It is called the "Delicious Forever" edition and each pack of 20 stamps contains six designs: images of Puerto Rican sancocho, Mexican tamales and chiles rellenos, Peruvian ceviche, and the empanadas and flan that are consumed in most Latin American countries.

According to the official page of the USPS, each and every one of the dishes included in the selection has influenced Americans in some way.

The stamps will be available beginning April 20, but may be pre-ordered at the USPS website. The cost per sheet is $ 9.80.

The designs were created by John Parra and Antonio Alcalá. Each was made with several layers of acrylic paint to add a retro touch.

NBC10 is raising questions about Philadelphia’s soda tax and who the added cash is serving. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk has the latest.

A new deal confirmed that Major League Baseball will continue to make uniforms and fan apparel at a Palmer Township plant. NBC10’s Tim Furlong has the details on the grand slam of a deal.

New Jersey’s Gloucester Township has reported two isolated incidents of suspicious behavior between adults and juveniles in the past few days.

A suspicious vehicle was reported in Blackwood Monday night. Police say that a 12 year old boy was walking down the street when a white van pulled up next to him and rolled down the window. Authorities say that when the boy tried to flee the area, the van reversed in his direction before abruptly leaving the scene. Police say there was no contact between the two.

The driver of the van is described as a white male in his early 30s, with dark hair and a mustache. Police say he was wearing a white shirt at the time.

The other incident took place on Sunday night near the Black Horse Pike in Blackwood. Police say around 10:30 P.M., an adult man tried to coax a 17 year-old girl into getting into his truck, offering her a ride home. The girl then fled on foot after the encounter.

The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-30s. Police say he has no facial hair, a crooked front left tooth, a mole on his chin, and a deep, raspy voice. He was also wearing a black hoodie.

Police say at this time, the two incident are not related. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gloucester Township Police Department at 856-228-4500.

Two teens are recovering after they were stabbed outside a day care center in the Frankford section of Philadelphia late Tuesday afternoon.

A 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman were outside a day care on the 4400 block of Frankford Avenue at 4:12 p.m. when a suspect stabbed both of them before fleeing the scene. Police say the front windows of the day care were broken during the incident.

Both teens were taken to Temple University Hospital and are in stable condition.
No arrests have been made and a weapon has not been recovered. Police say both victims know the suspect but they have not yet released a description.

Friends and family are mourning the death of Ralph Archbold, a popular speaker best known for impersonating Benjamin Franklin for decades. Archbold died on March 25 at the age of 75. 

Born on January 17, 1942, Archbold shared the same birthday as the founding father who he would go on to impersonate. Archbold first portrayed Franklin in 1973 during a performance at a historical village in Michigan, where he grew up. Archbold then began to research Franklin more and continued working on his impersonation.

After moving to Philadelphia in 1982, Archbold eventually became known as the world’s most famous Benjamin Franklin impersonator through several high profile speaking engagements and appearances at schools, events and television programs, including the Today Show and the History Channel. He also became the official Ben Franklin impersonator for the University of Pennsylvania, Freedom’s Foundation and the Franklin Institute.

In 2006, he was appointed by President George Bush to a Federal Commission overseeing the celebration of Ben Franklin’s 300th birthday.

Archbold married Betsy Ross impersonator Linda Wilde in 2008. The couple’s wedding took place at Independence Hall with Mayor Michael Nutter officiating. In 2009 Archbold suffered a stroke but later recovered and continued working as an impersonator before his death.

Donald Smith, the founder of "Celebration! Of Benjamin Franklin," an organization that hosts an annual day-long celebration of Franklin's birthday, released a statement on Archbold's death.

“We are saddened to hear of Ralph Archbold’s passing," Smith wrote. "Ralph was a central part of our annual Benjamin Franklin Birthday Celebration—he brought Benjamin Franklin to life for everyone in Philadelphia. Each year, he would tell wonderful stories from Franklin's life and lead a "hearty three huzzahs" for the participants. Benjamin Franklin helped to create the Philadelphia citizen, and Ralph Archbold perpetuated this great sense of character we see throughout our city today."

STRONG STORM MOVING THIS WAY
Look at the spin in the middle of the country! You can see it best in this “water vapor loop."

It takes a strong storm to show a swirl like that. And this time of year, we often see severe thunderstorms on one side of the storm, and snow on the other side. Yes, I said snow-and not just in the mountains. It was snowing in North Texas Tuesday!

A 1, 2, 3 PUNCH
Normally, as a large storm system approaches, there is an area, or line of thunderstorms that will move through our area. In this case, high-resolution computer models show multiple lines hitting Philadelphia in the same day!

Here are forecast maps of the newest, high-resolution model (called the 3km NAM)-at 6 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. Thursday. The model clearly shows these as three separate lines. The red colors represent the heaviest rain (and likely thunderstorms).

This is pretty unusual. We would get a brief downpour and strong wind gust with each line.

THE FLOOD THREAT
Some parts of our area are much more vulnerable to flooding than others. It’s partly because they have gotten more rain in the past week. Another factor is the type of soil. The sandy soil near the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware can handle a lot more rain than areas far away from the coast. And in this case, Pennsylvania has had a lot more rain in the past week than South Jersey and Delaware.

Here is a map showing the amount of rain in a 6-hour period needed to produce flooding:

So, parts of the Lehigh Valley and other N&W suburbs of Philadelphia only need AN INCH of rain, and in a couple of spots, even less! That’s not too hard to do. And that is why we have issued a FIRST ALERT for our Pennsylvania counties and Mercer Co., NJ. for the flood threat.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT
While flooding is much less of a threat for South Jersey and Delaware, those very areas have much higher threats of severe thunderstorms. That means hail and potentially damaging winds. The Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma has that part of our area in a “Slight Risk” for severe storms. I’ve never liked using the word “Slight” when talking about severe weather. It makes the threat seem trivial. But “Slight” is pretty significant when the SPC uses it.

So, we can expect a few rounds of showers and thunderstorms Thursday-some affecting the A.M. rush, and others even into the afternoon. And that’s why we have the FIRST ALERT for those areas.

THE PHILLIES FRIDAY-NOT SO PHANTASTIC
First of all, Friday will be nothing like Thursday. There will be no severe thunderstorms. There probably won’t be any thunderstorms at all. But the weather won’t be good (that’s putting it mildly).

A look at the predicted surface map for 2 p.m. Friday tells the story. The LOW pressure center is near the PA/NY border. The green area is rain, which goes down into Maryland. And the blue area is (yes, it is) snow. Much of western PA, West Virginia, eastern Ohio, and western New York will be cold enough for snow-even in the middle of the afternoon.

The black lines are “isobars,” lines of equal pressure. The closer they are together, the stronger the wind. And they are close enough to suggest at least 15-20 mph winds. And the temperatures will be in the 40s according to the computer models. So, when you combine everything, you end up with not-very-“baseball-ish” weather. We should even be able to talk about wind chills, which will be closer to 40. With cloudy skies and occasional rain. Yuck. And the rain may not be heavy enough to postpone the game.

So, if you’re going to the home opener Friday (as I am), wear several layers of clothes under your Phillies gear, and have some rain gear with you, too. You’re much luckier if you have tickets for the weekend games, although Saturday night will be on the chilly side. But at least it won’t be raining-or windy.

Stay with the NBC10 First Alert Weather team for the latest forecasts, alerts and updates.

Family members are mourning a father of six who was gunned down while stopped at a light on Roosevelt Boulevard over the weekend.

“I never thought that this would happen to me,” Renee C. Valentine said. “That’s why I’m so adamant about speaking out.”

Renee Valentine’s son Donte Valentine, 39, was driving a 2016 Chrysler 300 on Roosevelt Boulevard at Summerdale Avenue shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday. Police say he was stopped at a light when a gunman in a white Cadillac pulled up next to him and opened fire. Donte Valentine was shot multiple times in the head and chest. Police say he swerved his vehicle across the Boulevard and crashed into a fence at Friends Hospital on the northbound side at Adams Avenue. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

Police are still investigating the shooting and don’t have any suspects or a motive. Renee Valentine told NBC10 she may have one however. She believes an argument at a club where her son worked as a bouncer may have led to the deadly shooting.

“They targeted him to kill him,” she said. “They did.”

Donte Valentine is survived by six children between the ages of 2 and 17. His family is planning a vigil for him at the site of his murder Monday at 7 p.m.

“I did not want my son to die like this and I’m sure any other mother would not want her son to die from gun violence,” Renee Valentine said. “He enjoyed life. He did. Donte wasn’t a violent person and for him to be taken away from us is senseless.”

If you have any information on the shooting, please call Philadelphia Police.

Surveillance video of a man grabbing a baby’s stroller inside a Philadelphia store has sparked an attempted abduction investigation, according to police.

The incident occurred Sunday at 10:12 a.m. inside a store on the 1400 block of Locust Street. In the video an unidentified man grabs a stroller and stares at the baby inside. A man and woman, who police believe are the baby’s parents, immediately push the man off the child. The woman then takes the child out of the store.

Police say the man and woman left the location but the suspect remained when officers arrived. While police know the suspect’s identity and have already spoken to him they are currently searching for the baby’s parents and are asking the public to help identify them. Police have not yet filed charges and continue to investigate.

If you have any information on the incident, please call the Philadelphia Special Victims Unit at 215-685-3253, 54, 63 or dial 911.

Payless ShoeSource announced Tuesday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and will close nearly 400 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

"This is a difficult, but necessary, decision driven by the continued challenges of the retail environment, which will only intensify, said W. Paul Jones, the company's chief executive officer. "We will build a stronger Payless for our customers, vendors and suppliers, associates, business partners and other stakeholders through this process."

The list of stores to be closed has been posted here.

A 17-year-old is making Southern California proud after she achieved the incredible feat of being accepted into all eight Ivy League schools.

"It's completely surreal," Cassandra Hsiao told NBC4 Tuesday. "I opened them one after another, and they all were saying, 'Congratulations! Congratulations!' And I know that is something special."

Hsiao, from Walnut, has offers from Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell and Penn – leaving her with the difficult decision of which world-class institution she wants to join as part of the class of 2021.

Hsiao immigrated from Malaysia at just 5 years old. She’s a first-generation immigrant, and it was her essay about learning English that impressed the universities.

Touting her 4.67 GPA and 1540 score on the SATs, the writer and journalist attends Orange County School of the Arts.

But the impressive resume doesn’t end there – she’s one of two student body presidents, an editor-in-chief of the school's magazine and active in her community.

Hsiao has conducted on-camera interviews on red carpets at film festivals, media screenings and press conferences. The conversations she's had with dozens of celebrities can be found on her YouTube channel.

Hsiao even bravely took the chance to ask "Hamilton" creator Lin Manuel-Miranda a question by rapping at a news conference for Disney's "Moana."

"She's multi-faceted," Josh Wood, OCSA's director of creative writing, said of the student journalist, film critic and playwright. "She's such a go-getter and makes opportunities for herself."

In addition to being accepted to all Ivy League schools, she was also accepted to Stanford University, John Hopkins University, University of Southern California, Northwestern University, New York University, Amherst College and many others in the UC system.

Legislative budget forecasters say New Jersey is facing a more than $430 million budget gap over two years

The Democrat-led Legislature's nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services said Wednesday that fiscal year 2017 and 2018 revenues are estimated to be $436 million below Republican Gov. Chris Christie's forecast.

The administration is set to update the Assembly budget committee later on Wednesday.

Christie has proposed a $35.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2018, which starts July 1.

The shortfall amounts to just over 1 percent of Christie's estimate and is small compared to earlier years. In 2014, Christie was forced to slash the state's pension payment by about $1 billion to nearly $700 million.

Christie's 2018 proposal calls for a $2.5 billion pension payment, up from $1.9 billion in 2017.

The bodies of two men were found in the Hudson River between Hoboken and Weehawken Tuesday morning, officials say. 

A jogger first spotted a body on the rocks in the cove off 15th Street at about 8 a.m., according to law enforcement sources. 

When officers got to the scene, they found a second body, sources said. Both were men. 

Sources say the two were carrying IDs. They were identified as Ali Harb, 41, of West New York, and Juan Bustamonte, 35, of Union City. 

The Hudson County prosecutor's office says the deaths don't appear to be suspicious but it is awaiting findings from the medical examiner.

"There should be no concern to the public involving the two bodies found in the Hudson River in Hoboken this morning," the office said on Twitter. 

A law enforcement source says preliminary observation shows no evidence of any gunshot or knife wound.

Hoboken resident Sarah Mitchell said she saw the emergency response, with many fire trucks arriving. 

"I had no idea. It's scary that it happened so close to where all the kids play," said Mitchell. 

"It's shocking," said Hoboken resident Samantha Buser. "I walk down this path every day walking dogs, so that is really, really shocking. I'm kind of at a loss for words."

Police say the trooper who had to be rescued from a mangled police vehicle after crashing into a tree off a New Jersey highway Monday is being treated for serious injuries at a local hospital. 

The trooper, 26-year-old Jeffrey Almeida, was airlifted to University Medical Center in Newark after he was extricated from the police car off I-78 in Warren. He has serious but non-life threatening leg injuries, state police say. 

Almeida was driving the marked Ford Crown Victoria eastbound on I-78 when he collided with an Acura sedan driven by a 29-year-old Newark man, according to state police. 

The impact sent the police vehicle flying off the left side of the roadway, and it entered the grassy median and hit several trees. 

Almeida was entrapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated, police said. He was airlifted to University Medical Center. 

The other driver wasn't hurt. Both were wearing seatbelts. 

Police say the cause and circumstances of the crash remain under investigation. 

NBC10 Responds and Harry Hairston help a man who couldn’t get the promotional deal he believed Days Inn promised him.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plans lane restrictions along one of Montgomery County’s busy thoroughfares next week to work on an overhead bridge.

Crews will restrict some Old York Road (Route 611) lanes on a 1/4-mile stretch between Jericho Road (where the Target shopping center is) and Hamilton Avenue in Abington Township form 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 10 to April 14 so that crews can repair the structurally-deficient Edge Hill Road bridge over Route 611, PennDOT said in a news release.

The temporary lane closures come as crews from J.D. Eckman, Inc. of Atglen, Chester County, continue work on the $3.6-million project to rehabilitate the 115-foot-long Edge Hill Road bridge built in 1947. Edge Hill Road between Ferndale and Hamilton avenues should remain closed through late fall, PennDOT said.

"Edge Hill Road passenger vehicles are being detoured over Susquehanna Road, Fitzwatertown Road and Old Welsh Road," PennDOT said. "Trucks are being directed over Jenkintown Road, Fitzwatertown Road and Old Welsh Road. Pedestrian traffic will be maintained for the duration of construction and local vehicular access will be maintained up to the construction area."

Normally 7,138 vehicles pass over the Edge Hill Road span daily.

Next week’s lane closures are weather dependent, PennDOT said. Motorists can get updates from 511PA.com.

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